Answers

Q:

Last week, I was allowed to go home after a month in the state mental hospital. My family had me admitted after I got depressed and tried to commit suicide. I'm better now, but how do I know I won't slide back into this again? I need God to help me.

A:

Don’t focus on what might happen to you (but probably won’t); focus instead on what God has already done in your life, and what He wants to do for you in the future.

After all, God preserved your life when you were desperate and tried to bring it to an end, and God also has helped bring you back to health. Even if you weren’t aware of it, His hand has been on you throughout this entire ordeal—and He will be with you in the future. The psalmist said, “If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there” (Psalm 139:8).

Why is this true? The reason is because God loves you. He knows what you have been going through, and no matter what the reason has been for your depression, He still loves you with an everlasting love. He loves you so much that He sent His Son into the world to give His life for you.

If you have never done so, ask Christ to come into your life today. Then thank Him for the good things He has done for you, and thank Him too that He is with you every day. Trust your doctor’s instructions; they are important. But most of all, trust Christ. His promise is for you: “‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid'” (Hebrews 13:5-6).